Romans 9:14-18: a reflection

14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be! 15For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.

Paul anticipates the objection his teaching raises: if God chooses whom he will call, is that unjust? His answer is emphatic, may it never be, and he grounds God's freedom in God's own words to Moses: I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and compassion on whom I have compassion. Mercy, by its very nature, is not owed. It is given freely, and God reserves the right to give it as he wills.

So then, Paul concludes, it does not depend on human willing or exertion but on God who shows mercy. This can sting our pride, because we like to think we have earned our standing by our effort or our running. Paul insists that salvation is mercy from first to last. Even the hard case of Pharaoh serves God's larger purpose, that his name might be proclaimed in all the earth. God remains sovereign and just, working all things toward his glory.

Rather than letting this truth become a puzzle to argue over, receive its comfort. If your standing with God rested on your willing and running, it would rise and fall with your inconsistent efforts. Because it rests on his mercy, it is secure. And mercy, unlike a wage, can always be asked for. So do not presume, and do not despair; simply come and ask for the mercy God delights to give, and rest in a salvation that depends on him and not on you.

Lord, you have mercy on whom you have mercy, and my salvation depends not on my willing or running but on your grace. Humble my pride, which wants to earn what only you can give. Thank you that mercy can always be asked for. So I come and ask, not presuming and not despairing, and I rest in a salvation that rests on you. Amen.